Attorney General Raoul Calls On EPA To Rescind New Policy That Weakens Federal Environmental Enforcement Protections

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined a coalition of 13 attorneys general in calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rescind a new policy that would significantly weaken federal environmental enforcement and delay action against polluters.

In a letter to EPA Commissioner Lee Zeldin, the coalition warns that the EPA’s December 2025 Compliance First memorandum would slow enforcement of environmental laws, create bureaucratic barriers to holding polluters accountable and increase pollution that harms communities across the country.

“The EPA’s new policy will hamper efforts to hold polluters accountable when they damage our environment and threaten public health,” Raoul said. “I will continue to push back against the Trump administration’s goal of shielding polluters by limiting the power of long-standing environmental protection laws.”

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In their letter, Raoul and the coalition raise serious concerns about the EPA’s December 2025 memorandum titled “Reinforcing a ‘Compliance First’ Orientation for Compliance Assurance and Civil Enforcement Activities.” Despite its stated goal of encouraging compliance, the policy would in practice delay enforcement and allow polluters to stall investigations by raising legal challenges that must be elevated through multiple layers of political review. The policy memo discourages the use of key enforcement tools – including penalties, injunctive relief and supplemental environmental projects – that are often used to stop pollution and address harm to communities. The coalition argues that weakening these tools would make it harder to quickly bring polluters into compliance and address environmental damage.

Raoul and the coalition emphasize that robust federal enforcement is essential because pollution often crosses state lines. Even states with strong environmental protections rely on consistent federal enforcement to prevent upstream pollution and ensure a level playing field for companies that follow the law. The coalition also warns that delays in enforcement would disproportionately harm communities already overburdened by pollution, including communities of color, low-income communities and rural areas. Increased emissions and discharges caused by delayed enforcement could worsen public health outcomes and environmental conditions in those communities.

Raoul and the attorneys general are urging the EPA to immediately rescind the memorandum and restore long-standing enforcement practices that prioritize compliance while maintaining strong accountability for polluters.

Joining Attorney General Raoul in sending the letter are the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

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